TiVo has broken new ground this week by introducing the ability to buy items advertised during commercials and programming directly from your remote control.

The addition of this feature you will either love or hate; has been made possible through a collaboration with e-tailer Amazon.com. TiVo users will now see links appearing allowing the purchase of items being viewed on screen. Want a copy of Super Smash Brothers being advertised? Press a button on your remote and it is added to your Amazon shopping cart, with the purchase being completed at your convenience after watching the rest of your program.

Thomas S. Rogers, chief executive of TiVo said:

Just a few years ago, we were viewed with great paranoia as the disruptor … Our goal now is to work with the media industry to come up with ways to resist the downward pressure of less advertising viewing and create a way for advertising on TV to become more effective, more engaging and closer to the sale … What we are trying to do is to create all the underpinnings of a future business model for television.

TiVo are hoping that the new feature will attract more revenue from advertisers eager for instant sales and remove the barrier of people buying products advertised. That barrier being having to leave the comfort of your sofa to go and buy them.

A number of high-profile shows are already using the service to promote the purchase of products featured on them. These include The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Colbert Report and Burn Notice.

Matthew’s Opinion
It was inevitable that this was going to happen sooner or later. We already use the remote to access the Internet, access additional sporting information e.g. stats, different viewing angles and alternative games, so why not shopping as well?

Advertisers should jump at the chance to try out this service. It doesn’t guarantee them sales, but is an extra opportunity for impulse buys. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw new adverts that focus as much on telling users to press the button than they do on the product being advertised.